Synonyms
Definition
Social sustainability is a variously defined term that generally refers to the social dimensions of sustainability. In a normative sense it refers to the social goals of sustainability strategies.
Description
Until recently, social sustainability was a relatively neglected dimension of debate, discussion, and theory relating to sustainability or sustainable development. While sustainability as a concept has achieved prominence in many fields, social sustainability is the least developed of the oft-cited “three dimensions” or three “pillars” of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social). Many authors note that both in sustainability theory and practice “the social” has been either neglected (Cuthill, 2010, p. 363), given a lower priority to other dimensions of sustainability, or undertheorized and oversimplified (Colantonio, 2008, pp. 3–4). The conceptual framework for social sustainability is widely acknowledged as under developed, and...
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Partridge, E. (2014). Social Sustainability. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2790
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